Former US contractor Abraham Teklu Lemma pleaded guilty to conspiring to transmit national defence information to Ethiopia. Prosecutors say he transferred classified documents and photographs using his technical access during the Tigray conflict. His sentencing is scheduled for April 2027 after a plea covering activities between 2021 and his August 2023 arrest.
Abraham Teklu Lemma, an Ethiopian-born US citizen who worked as a government contractor, pleaded guilty to conspiring to send national defence information to Ethiopia. His employment included the State Department, Justice Department and National Reconnaissance Office, the agency responsible for US intelligence satellites. The plea concerns transfers to senior Ethiopian officials between 2021 and his arrest in August 2023.[1], [2]
Prosecutors said Lemma used his information technology administrator privileges to extract electronic intelligence files. He also copied sensitive material into handwritten notes and carried them out of secure buildings. The material included classified documents, photographs, satellite images and details of military activity. He sent information through encrypted messages. Prosecutors said the recipients included senior figures in Ethiopia’s political, military and intelligence establishments.[1]
The Justice Department said Lemma intended to help Ethiopian forces target armed groups in Tigray, a region of northern Ethiopia, during the 2020–2022 civil war. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said, citing his admission, that the intelligence was used in military operations. Ethiopian authorities had not responded by publication. Lemma was arrested in Maryland, a US state, in August 2023. His sentencing hearing is set for 14 April 2027.[1]
